Animal-control device.



J. G. HEIVNER.

ANIMAL CONTROL DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 20, 1917.

1,251,519, Patented Jan.1,1918.

WIT*NESSESJ INVENTOR,

JOHN G. HEPINER, or onLANIJ, CALIFORNIA.

ANIMAL-CONTROL DEVICE.

Specification of LettersvPatent.

, Patented Jan. 1, 1918,

i Application filer February 20, 1917. Serial No. 149394;"

To all whom it may concern I Be it known that I, JOHN G. HEIVNER, a citizen of the Umted States, residing at Orland. in the countyof Glenn and State of California, have invented a new and useful Animal-Control Device, of which the follow The object of my invention is to provide ing is a specification.

a safe and reliable meansfor checking and controlling fractious, orunruly horses, or

other animals by means of a specially 0011- trived arrangement applied to the head of the animal.

lVith these objects in view the invention consists in the arrangement and combination of parts which will be hereafter fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a side view of the contrivance attached to a horse. Fig. 2 is a side view, on an enlarged scale, of the tightening-strap used. Fig. 3 is a side View, on enlarged scale, of a modification of the guiding reins when used with a spring bit. Fig. 4 is a side View, partly in section, of a form of spring bit to be used with the modification of the guiding reins. Like numerals designate the same parts in the different figures.

An ordinary bridle is used. A tighteningstrap 2 is loosely wound twice around the nose and jaw of the animal, above the mouth bit, over and under the part 17 of the bridle and joined under the jaw, as shown more clearly in Fig. 2, at which place is attached a ring 5. Secured to the tightening-strap is a ring 3, there being a like ring on the opposite side of the animals jaw but not shown in the figures. The guiding rein 10 is attached to the tightening ring 3 and the bit ring 4, it being divided for that purpose at 13, the part 7 being elastically yieldable and the part 8 non-yieldable. It is understood that there i also a rein on the opposite side of the animal similarly constructed and attached. Either a plain or spring bit can be used in connection with the reins. With a plain bit that part of the rein attached to the bit ring 4 is formed with a spring 7, which is omitted with a spring bit, being then a continuous strap as shown in Fig. 3. The martingale 6 is attached to the tightening ring 5, at one end, and at the other to the surcingle 20 at 12 and is adjustable by means of the buckle 18. To the martingale are secured two rings 15 and 19 so placed that a connecting spring 16 will give a.

slack section above it to the martingale. At-

tached to the throat strap 23 of the bridle is a ring 11. Between it and a loose ring 14:, on the slack part of the martingale, is placed a spring 9 which completes the workingari N rangements of the device. It is understood that all theparts are to be so adjusted as to have .a proper relation to each other in theiroperation. 1

Fig. 4 shows a form of spring bit which i can be used, if preferred, to a plain bit. Itis formed of a curved, tube bar 21 containing a spring 22 fastened at the ends of which are bit rings 4, 4, tension on which, on the inner side of the curve, causes the spring to elongate. With this bit the spring 7 is omitted from the rein, the construction being that shown in Fig. 3. The purpose of the springs is to give a gentle, elastically yieldable connection of the parts in their operation and to insure their return to normal positions after the strains have been released from them.

The operation of the device is as follows: When the rein is unrestrained it droops sufficiently so that the part 8 will be slack. Tension on the rein is carried first yieldingly by mean of the spring 7 to the mouth bit, a gentle strain being ordinarily suflicient for guiding the animal; but a continued and stronger tension extends the spring sufficiently for the part 8 of the rein to become taut and carry the strain firmly to the tightening-strap 2 through the ring 3. The tightening-strap being loosely wound twice around the nose and jaw of the animal, and is thus left free to slip, the strain on it causing it to tighten and close tightly the animals jaw, which has the eflect of subduing the animal. When an animal is afi'righted it invariably raises its head. So that the control will be effective. automatically, without using the reins is the purpose of the construction of the martingale shown and the connecting spring 9 which draws on the slack part of the martingale through the throat strap. As the animals head is raised the strain is first received gently by means of the springs but further upward movement of the head causes the prings to extend until the martingale is taut, the slack section above the spring 16 straightening out, and the tension on the tightening-strap becomes intense and clamps the animals jaw, the same effect being obtained as when the reins are used,

and the animal learns in time to become less restive because it will instinctively know that following the gentler warning given through the springs will come the drastic action of the tightening-strap, which it will fear, and it will become gentle. 7

The tightening-strap will also be effective, without the use of reins, by means of the lead strap 1, pulling on which will draw directly on the tightening-strap, through the ring 5, and cause it to slip and clamp the animals jaw the same as tension on the martingale direct.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Let ters Patent, is

1. In an animal control device the combination of a tightening-strap loosely applied around the nose and jaw of the animal with a martingale having both an elastically yielding and a non-yieldable connection with the tightening-strap, the elastically yielding connection being arranged to be first operated and the non-yieldable connection to be subsequently operated, for the purposes set forth.

2. In an animal control device the combination of a bridle, of a tighteningstrap loosely applied around the nose and jaw of the animal, of a throat strap of the bridle, and of a martingale having a combined elastically yieldable and a non-yieldable connection with the tightening-strap, and an elastically yieldable connection with the throat strap.

3. In an animal control device the com- 1 an elastically yieldable connection with the mouth bit and a non-yieldable connection with the tightening-strap, substantially as shown and described.

JOHN G. HEIVNER. Witnesses:

ANITA PAULSEN, GRANT M. LORRAINE.

Copies 01 this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Wuhlngton, D. 0. 

